Each Takes a Step Back; Yulizi Draws Near (Part Two)

Lady Xie's words carried a confidence that made Wang Jian feel as though needles were pricking him all over.

"If Su Che produces the Prince of Wuling, the whole arrangement falls apart."

Wang Jian looked at Lady Xie.

He knew his wife's powers went, in some respects, beyond what her status as a daughter of the Chen Commandery Xie Clan could explain. But deceiving heaven and earth, impersonating a member of the imperial family to make a fool of the emperor—

That was still beyond Wang Jian's imagination.

"He won't do that."

Lady Xie smiled at Wang Jian. "If you were Su Che and happened to have the Prince of Wuling in your hands, what would you do first?"

If I were Su Che and had the Prince of Wuling, what would I do?

Wang Jian frowned and thought for a moment.

"I'd bring the Prince of Wuling straight back. Whatever happened before, that would be a great service."

"Exactly. So why hasn't Su Che brought the Prince of Wuling back?"

Lady Xie smiled at Wang Jian, making him angrier still.

It was always like this. Before his "wife," he was treated like a nursing infant, never taken seriously, only subjected to these one-sided "lessons."

"He..."

Many possibilities flashed through Wang Jian's mind, but he dismissed them one by one.

Su Che wanted to rebel, so he had detained the Prince of Wuling. No, that made no sense. If he meant to rebel, seizing the emperor or the crown prince would be one thing. Seizing an unfavored prince was pointless.

Su Che had killed the Prince of Wuling. That made even less sense. Why would Su Che murder him for no reason?

Was the Prince of Wuling injured? Then Su Che could simply send him back to recover. At worst,